WEBVTT - Through Military Connection, Richardson Mentors 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:05.200 Philadelphia is the latest stop on Josh Richardson's journey, one 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:07.800 that began in Oklahoma City as the son of a 0:00:07.840 --> 0:00:11.600 lieutenant in the Armed Forces. Reticul was cool. Gave me 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:14.560 a good perspective, and I appreciate it. Now everybody in 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:16.880 my house has to be another. It's an upbringing that 0:00:16.920 --> 0:00:19.880 has given Richardson some common ground with a local teenager 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:23.000 we now mentors. I think it's really important to just 0:00:23.040 --> 0:00:26.120 give back and to kind of feel a little bit 0:00:26.120 --> 0:00:28.440 of a void, you know, that has been there the 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:31.960 story of Josh Richardson and Elijah Bird. On this episode 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:39.720 of the broadcast, How you doing out there, Brian Seltzer, 0:00:39.960 --> 0:00:43.800 welcoming you back to another edition of the broadcast. You 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.600 can find us anywhere you get your pods, whether that 0:00:47.720 --> 0:00:55.000 is Spotify, Pandora, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, tune in SoundCloud. 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:58.800 Just type in seventy six ers Podcasts or Sixers podcast 0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:01.880 Network and to find our feed and you can follow 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:06.920 and subscribe seventy sixers. They are going through it right now. 0:01:07.160 --> 0:01:09.760 As of the taping of this podcast. It is the 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:12.640 day after a tough loss to the Orlando Magic. The 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.240 Sixers of Now dropped four in a row on the 0:01:15.319 --> 0:01:18.880 road and four out of their last six. But the 0:01:18.880 --> 0:01:20.759 theme that at least for me, I keep going back 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:24.880 to is continuity and the lack of it at this 0:01:24.920 --> 0:01:28.200 early stage of the season. Last seven games, the seventy 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:31.119 Sixers have not just been missing a guy or two, 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.880 they've been missing at least one All Star from their 0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:37.039 starting lineup, and Brett Brown said from the very beginning 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:41.200 of training camp that talent does not trump time in 0:01:41.280 --> 0:01:43.760 the end. The hope is that it wins out and 0:01:43.880 --> 0:01:46.760 the expectation is that it will. But as the Sixers 0:01:46.840 --> 0:01:49.760 navigate through the first three to four weeks the season, 0:01:50.240 --> 0:01:52.840 there have been injuries, there's been a suspension, there have 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:55.760 been a ton of road games. Sixers. They're just trying 0:01:55.800 --> 0:02:00.160 to figure some things out and establish further cohesion. Might 0:02:00.200 --> 0:02:02.600 take a little bit of patience at the moment. No 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.360 no one wants to hear that, but the Sixers hope 0:02:05.400 --> 0:02:07.480 to get on a role as they continue their current 0:02:07.640 --> 0:02:11.079 road trip. For this edition of the podcast, we are 0:02:11.080 --> 0:02:13.680 going to hear from our reporter Lauren Rosen a little 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:16.720 bit later on, and she will recap all the important 0:02:16.760 --> 0:02:20.480 pertinent headlines dealing with the team. But I want to 0:02:20.520 --> 0:02:23.400 begin this episode of the podcast with our opening tip 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:28.880 segment talking about this A full disclosure about Brian Seltzer. 0:02:29.680 --> 0:02:32.600 I'm gonna be honest. When I'm in the presence of 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:36.200 military service women and men and their families, most of 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:39.440 the time, I kind of feel out of place, a 0:02:39.440 --> 0:02:42.920 little bit awkward. The latest instance of this was the 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:45.840 other day when the seventy sixers hosted the Charlotte Hornets 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:49.639 on military Appreciation. I was walking in the back of 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:52.519 house area at the Center, making my way from our 0:02:52.560 --> 0:02:55.680 offices to the media dining area, when I passed by 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:58.240 a group of about two dozen Army officers who I 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:01.440 think we're getting ready to help present the American flag 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:05.760 at Center Court during the pregame singing of the national anthem. 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:08.000 If I were to do an internal audit of myself, 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:10.120 there are probably a couple of areas of the reason why. 0:03:10.200 --> 0:03:13.320 Like I said, this type of situation can be awkward 0:03:13.360 --> 0:03:17.440 for me. First, my immediate impulse is to thank these 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.919 women men for their service. Depending on the setting and 0:03:21.000 --> 0:03:23.919 the feel of the situation, sometimes I do, but then 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:28.000 other times I don't. Why not do it all the 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:34.320 time and make it personal standard practice? Well, in my 0:03:34.440 --> 0:03:41.640 own weird, compulsive, overly analytical way. I constantly review my 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:47.320 thoughts and decisions. Is it too cliche to thank military 0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:51.640 people for their service? Is it a nice, genuine thing 0:03:51.680 --> 0:03:55.119 to say? Of course, But then I start wondering if 0:03:55.120 --> 0:03:59.240 the gesture is truly sufficient in respect to what we 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:02.040 owe these women men for putting their lives and the 0:04:02.080 --> 0:04:05.280 lives their families in peril on a regular basis so 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:08.320 the rest of us can attend a basketball game or 0:04:08.880 --> 0:04:13.520 cover a professional sports team for a living. I, by 0:04:13.600 --> 0:04:16.920 no means am trying to do a soapbox segment here. 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:20.120 That's above my pay grade, and there are plenty of 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:22.280 other places you can go to for that type of content. 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:25.200 All I'm trying to do is give you my perspective 0:04:25.200 --> 0:04:28.320 and share where I personally am coming from. For me, 0:04:28.960 --> 0:04:31.599 I think that in the grand scheme of things, what 0:04:31.720 --> 0:04:36.279 I do with my life is so insignificant compared to 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:39.440 what these military people do, what they have committed themselves 0:04:39.480 --> 0:04:43.120 to do, what they're prepared to do. I just end 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:47.800 up feeling incredibly small, like there's nothing I could possibly 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:51.160 say to show enough thanks to our military for ensuring 0:04:51.160 --> 0:04:54.599 that this country well certainly not perfect is a place 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:59.120 where you're afforded liberties and freedoms and rights that don't 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:07.440 exist everywhere. That brings us to October thirtieth, two thousand 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:11.880 and four. The United States was less than a year 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:16.240 into the Second Iraq War. Combat was on the verge 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:23.919 of intensifying. Marine lance Corporal John T. Bird, the Second 0:05:24.440 --> 0:05:26.279 belonged to a unit based in the western part of 0:05:26.279 --> 0:05:30.920 the country called the Anbar Province, iraqs border with Syria, Jordan, 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:36.800 and Saudi Arabia. That day, while Bird was carrying out 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:40.280 increased security measures near the Abu Great Prison outside Baghdad, 0:05:40.760 --> 0:05:44.400 an enemy suicide car bomber crashed into his vehicle, killing 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:50.479 Bird and seven other marines. The Volus area is urban, 0:05:50.960 --> 0:05:54.960 It's got complex terrain that has difficult avenues of approach. 0:05:55.600 --> 0:06:01.760 It has very zealous fighters. According to The New York Times, 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:05.000 October thirtieth would be the deadliest day for American forces 0:06:05.000 --> 0:06:07.880 in Iraq in almost six months. Could have been A 0:06:07.960 --> 0:06:14.560 sport utility vehicle heavily laden with explosives totally destroyed our truck. 0:06:16.960 --> 0:06:20.120 Less than two weeks later, on Veteran's Day in his 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:23.880 hometown of Fairview, West Virginia, Bird was buried with full 0:06:23.880 --> 0:06:28.240 military honors. His family, including wife Jessica, was presented with 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:33.600 a purple heart and ceremonial folded flags. In an Associated 0:06:33.600 --> 0:06:36.160 Press account of the funeral, there was a local pastor 0:06:36.240 --> 0:06:40.120 quoted He recalled Bird as a gentleman and a good guy. 0:06:41.720 --> 0:06:51.400 The pastor also noted that Bird played basketball. In January 0:06:51.400 --> 0:06:55.479 two thousand and five, Jessica Bird gave birth to a son, Elijah. 0:06:55.640 --> 0:07:05.680 Elijah's now fourteen years old. It's a military appreciation at 0:07:05.720 --> 0:07:08.240 the Center. The seventy six ers are getting ready to 0:07:08.240 --> 0:07:11.920 take on the Charlotte Hornets, and Elijah is grabbing rebounds 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:18.120 for Josh Richardson during pregame wars. Are you get the rebound? Crazy? 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:22.080 The way his mom describes him, Elijah is a teenager 0:07:22.080 --> 0:07:25.800 who very much is turning into a teenager. You can 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:28.120 see you to a certain degree. A snippet of what 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:32.520 Jessica Bird is talking about. Elijah's got a bounced to him, 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:36.600 a bright smile. In between Richardson's shots, he twirls a 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:39.119 basketball and his right index figure as if he were 0:07:39.160 --> 0:07:46.720 trying to be a Harlem Globe tribe. Elijah is full 0:07:46.760 --> 0:07:49.520 of energy. We came out into the court, Um me 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:53.360 and Josh and um I was hossing the ball too 0:07:53.360 --> 0:07:55.160 long and I met Josh person. But yeah, he was 0:07:55.160 --> 0:07:57.160 t me like, set some screens up. I was like, yeah, 0:07:57.160 --> 0:07:58.800 I just had a screen for Josh Richardson. I was 0:07:58.840 --> 0:08:06.160 freaking out for, you know idea. How was it that 0:08:06.320 --> 0:08:09.160 Elijah had the opportunity to tell Richardson get ready for 0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:12.960 the game that night. Elijah, a ninth grader at Central 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:16.120 High School in the Logan section of Philadelphia, is part 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:18.960 of the seventy sixers Walk in My Shoes mentoring program 0:08:19.040 --> 0:08:22.520 through an affiliation with another organization called TAPS, the Tragedy 0:08:22.520 --> 0:08:27.440 Assist Program for Survivors. Elijah never met his father, John, 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.720 died when Jessica was about seven months pregnant, but today 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:33.960 Elijah does bear some resemblance to his dad. An old 0:08:33.960 --> 0:08:37.160 military headshot of John reveals similarities between him and Elijah 0:08:37.520 --> 0:08:41.120 in their facial structure, their eyes, cheeks, even the way 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:46.200 they cut their hair. On Military Appreciation Night, Elijah, Jessica, 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:49.560 Elijah's grandfather, who served in the army, and his cousin 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:52.240 were all guests of Richardson in the seventy sixers and 0:08:52.320 --> 0:08:56.360 given VIP treatment before tip off, Elijah was recognized on 0:08:56.400 --> 0:09:00.679 the floor as the strong kid of the game, his legacy. 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:12.920 Every day, it's nice to just see him so happy 0:09:12.960 --> 0:09:17.720 and energized and motivated and laughing with a big smile 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:20.680 on his face, Like not something I see very often 0:09:20.720 --> 0:09:24.000 with the stress of high school and his sports and everything. 0:09:24.080 --> 0:09:30.320 Right now, that's Jessica Bird. For anyone out there who's 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:33.160 either gone through or maybe currently is still in high school, 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:37.400 you know, it is not the easiest of times. There's 0:09:37.520 --> 0:09:40.880 so much you got to manage, with implications about your present, 0:09:41.200 --> 0:09:44.720 your future, your personal and social lives, all that stuff. 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:49.200 In the words of his mom, Elijah is extremely dedicated 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:52.400 to his academics and is very regimented. That's a good 0:09:52.400 --> 0:09:56.520 problem to have, right Jessica says she likes seeing that 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.520 type of commitment from Elijah on weekdays, but on weekends 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:01.800 every now and then she thinks it might do him 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:06.320 some good to take a breather, decompress a bit. Even 0:10:06.360 --> 0:10:09.840 on the weekends. He's working as academics, he's studying, he's writing, 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:11.960 and so to see him take a break from it 0:10:11.960 --> 0:10:16.200 and actually like let go and release and enjoy some time, 0:10:16.880 --> 0:10:20.240 as his mom is really refreshing, you know, because I'm 0:10:20.280 --> 0:10:22.480 just like, let me take a break sometimes, man, and 0:10:22.800 --> 0:10:28.600 I can't stuff is due. How seriously does Elijah take 0:10:28.640 --> 0:10:32.320 his schoolwork so much so that he was initially concerned 0:10:32.600 --> 0:10:35.280 that participating in the Walk in My Shoes program would 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:37.839 have an adverse effect on his grades, even if one 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:39.640 of the perks was that he'd be able to hang 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:44.720 with someone like Josh Richardson. Here again is Jessica bird As. 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:47.880 I was talking to some of the coordinators and they 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:52.679 had a great point. They're like, these cures are as regiment, 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:56.240 so they'll get it, you know, And I was like, huh, 0:10:56.280 --> 0:10:59.400 that's true. So I told Elijah a couple of times 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:02.840 and he's still like just wasn't quite sure about the 0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:09.040 time requirements, but you can see he's happy. What else 0:11:09.120 --> 0:11:11.599 does a mom want? You know? I could feel he 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.240 thinks a lot, like when he meets new people, you know, 0:11:14.360 --> 0:11:17.600 he doesn't really open up very fast, but you can 0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:20.720 always tell you it's like something going on upstairs. That's 0:11:20.800 --> 0:11:25.360 Josh Richardson. Military Appreciation Night wasn't the first time he 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:31.480 had Elijah Bet. They were introduced about a month and 0:11:31.480 --> 0:11:33.520 a half ago after the seventy six ers Blue and 0:11:33.520 --> 0:11:37.160 White Scrimmage at seventy six ers Field House in Wilmington, Delaware. 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:38.760 Once I got to know him, wasn't he can hung 0:11:38.760 --> 0:11:42.120 out a little bit? Like he's funny, you know, he's 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:45.440 passionate about soccer, which I am. So that's like a 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:50.240 good tie. I mean, he's expressive, he's he's cool, like 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:54.760 you know, I like him. He's a cool good Josh 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:57.959 Richardson grew up in a military household. His mom, Alice, 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:00.160 was stationed at Tinker Air Force Base in uncle him 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:04.320 A City. His father, Michael, was a firefighter. The military 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:07.520 tie was the basis for Richardson becoming Elijah Bird's mentor 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:10.440 was a military It was cool being in out of 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:12.959 the base a lot, was It gave me a good 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:19.160 like perspective. No, my mom was pretty disciplined, and everything 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:22.560 in my house was like very tight, you know, like 0:12:22.760 --> 0:12:26.880 very like my grades had to be good, like just 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:30.800 he ran a tight shift. But you know, I appreciate 0:12:30.840 --> 0:12:35.280 it now because I don't have a problem like being disciplined, 0:12:35.320 --> 0:12:37.160 and like everybody in my house has to be disciplined 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:40.520 up through the Walk in my Shoes program, through multiple 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:42.960 touch points throughout the season when a player and the 0:12:42.960 --> 0:12:46.760 person he's mentoring see each other. But so far, Richardson 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:49.920 has made himself available beyond that. A few days after 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:51.960 the Blue and White scrimmage, he and Elijah went to 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:54.599 a Philadelphia Union playoff match at the Center of the 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:57.800 other night, they discussed grubbing. Sometime soon at a Center 0:12:57.800 --> 0:13:02.880 City institution, herschels the same PASTRAMI stand inside renting Charminal Market. 0:13:03.040 --> 0:13:04.439 We were saying how we should go out to get 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:06.439 one right, and he was like down, you know, and 0:13:06.440 --> 0:13:07.920 stuff like that. We were talking about how he like 0:13:08.000 --> 0:13:10.400 he's like a soccer player, you know, because dude, he 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:12.280 was like, he was like Rotes tasting his boxes. Trust me. 0:13:12.320 --> 0:13:13.559 So I passed to him, but the dude guys it 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:15.200 with his foot starts kicking it around. I was like, bro, 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:17.520 what are you doing right? And then he passes it 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:18.760 back to me like cat and I was like, bro, 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:20.880 we're when we running gast soccer and you're giving me 0:13:20.920 --> 0:13:22.599 the sauce. I was like, come on ground. He was like, 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:24.960 all right, bed's a day, right. I was like, all right. Cool. 0:13:25.480 --> 0:13:29.800 For a handful of reasons, Richardson realizes he's fortunate not 0:13:29.960 --> 0:13:34.400 only does he have this budding, successful NBA career, he 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:37.240 still got his mom in his life, and as Elijah's 0:13:37.240 --> 0:13:41.200 story reminds us, many military children can't always say the same. 0:13:41.320 --> 0:13:43.600 I've definitely thought about that. You know. All I can 0:13:43.640 --> 0:13:45.360 do is like pour my heart out to those kids, 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:48.400 you know, And that's why I try to be involved 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:51.440 with like groups like TAPS, like so I can you know, 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:55.480 give a positive a positive influence and those to those kids, 0:13:55.520 --> 0:13:58.040 you know. And I have some friends when I was 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:00.319 growing up, they had to move, you know, a bunch 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:04.320 of places, and you know that sucks, having to you know, 0:14:04.800 --> 0:14:08.240 make all new friends, learn a new environment. And I 0:14:08.360 --> 0:14:10.920 never had to experience that. So, you know, I want 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.040 to like empathize those people, but I can't because I 0:14:13.120 --> 0:14:17.080 don't really understand what that is. Like. When I spoke 0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:20.680 with Elijah and his family on Military Appreciation Night, I 0:14:20.720 --> 0:14:23.480 didn't really want to dive too much and dwell extensively 0:14:23.480 --> 0:14:26.080 on the past. That's not why the birds were there. 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:29.640 They were there to help honor and celebrate a loved 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:32.600 one's memory and also their own courage and strength and 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:38.240 persevering through at first circumstances. Still, I did ask Elijah's mom, Jessica, 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:40.880 about the value of a program like Walking My Shoes 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:45.240 and how interacting with someone like Richardson could ultimately benefit 0:14:45.240 --> 0:14:48.360 her son. Her cadence slowed down a bit as she 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:51.960 acknowledged the unfortunate reality that Elijah has never had a 0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:55.280 direct fellowship with his father John. I just feel like 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:58.720 in regards to leadership, and especially with me being a 0:14:58.760 --> 0:15:02.200 single mom, and like Collijah says, I work too much 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:04.800 or like I'm too dedicated to my work. So it's 0:15:04.840 --> 0:15:07.560 like it's nicely he kind of gets to see that 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:10.880 other people are doing it too, and not just him, 0:15:10.920 --> 0:15:13.280 and you know, they're sacrifices that need to be made. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:15.960 So I think it's invaluable. I don't think that there's 0:15:15.960 --> 0:15:18.400 a value for it. I think it's really important to 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:22.040 just give back and to to kind of feel a 0:15:22.080 --> 0:15:24.600 little bit of a void, you know that's that's been there. 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:27.840 You know. I would never try to like be a 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:30.960 father figure, like be a real family member, but like 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:34.000 just giving him, you know, an older male figure. It 0:15:34.040 --> 0:15:35.560 is large who you can talk to, who you can 0:15:36.040 --> 0:15:39.960 just kind of, you know, lean on. And I think 0:15:39.960 --> 0:15:42.400 that being able to give back in that way and 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:49.720 be a mental as important. Appreciate the Bird family being 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.600 willing to talk about their story and Josh Richards A 0:15:52.680 --> 0:15:56.200 two For more information about taps at the seventy six 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:58.800 Ers Walk in My Shoes program is a Sixer's Youth 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:09.160 Foundation dot or all Right Shifting Gears. Seventy Sixers Crossover 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:13.360 the art exhibition presented by Reebak this Saturday through next 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:17.400 Tuesday at the Fiddler Club in Center City. Sixers dot 0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:21.800 com slash seventy Sixers Crossover for information about tickets and 0:16:21.880 --> 0:16:25.160 how you can be there. How can you be inside 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:28.840 the center this season? Options are limited, but there are 0:16:29.000 --> 0:16:32.320 seventy Sixers Flex packs. Create your own flex pack and 0:16:32.440 --> 0:16:35.120 choose the four seventy Sixers games that you want to 0:16:35.160 --> 0:16:38.680 see this season. It is the perfect gift for friends, family, 0:16:39.080 --> 0:16:42.240 or is a treat for yourself. Every path guarantees seeding 0:16:42.360 --> 0:16:46.240 the games of your choice, including exclusive seventy Sixers gifts, 0:16:46.360 --> 0:16:49.880 two nineteen twenty playoff ticket priority that is always a 0:16:49.960 --> 0:16:53.440 huge park, an interest free payment plan option, and two 0:16:53.480 --> 0:16:57.360 tickets to a Delaware Bluecoats game at seventy Sixers Fieldhouse. 0:16:57.920 --> 0:17:01.280 For more information or to purchase your lex pack right now, 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:04.680 visit sixers dot com slash and flex pack. You can 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:07.760 email tickets at seventy six ers dot com or called 0:17:07.800 --> 0:17:10.200 two on five three three nine seven six seventy six 0:17:10.560 --> 0:17:13.840 two on five three three nine seven six seven six. 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:19.159 It is now my esteem pleasure to bring onto the 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:21.919 podcast for the first time. I think this is a 0:17:22.040 --> 0:17:27.119 first and a welcome first. Our seventy six ers digital reporter, 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:32.040 Lauren Rosen. Lauren, Well, what do we call him this segment? 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:37.200 I don't know. I think I think Rosin Report is fine. 0:17:37.920 --> 0:17:40.160 It's not as cheeky as it could be, but it's fine. 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:47.200 It's cheeky enough. There's some alliteration, a fan of both things. Sure, Okay, 0:17:47.320 --> 0:17:49.520 we'll go with that for now. Okay, it can evolve, 0:17:49.680 --> 0:17:52.920 of course, it can become something new and different as 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:54.440 we move along with This is our first four a 0:17:55.359 --> 0:17:57.919 into this segment on the podcast. Who knows how frequent 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:02.960 it will be. I think pretty regular to maybe always regular. Okay, 0:18:03.240 --> 0:18:05.720 we'll see, we'll see how terribly the first one goes. Now, 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:10.880 terribly good, terribly great, terribly informative. So you're our reporter, 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:14.679 our seventy six ers digital reporter. We've had about a 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:18.199 month worth of activity so far in the regular season. 0:18:19.119 --> 0:18:21.439 Things got off to a great start. Right now, the 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:24.640 team is trying to grind through a stretch, get back 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:28.600 on track. Talent does not trump time, you know, we 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:31.240 get to stay sane and like try to grow this thing. 0:18:32.040 --> 0:18:36.720 We can really feel responsible where we've delivered something as 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:41.320 perfect as perfect as we can make perfect. In April fifteen, 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:43.879 my impression is that right now, what I'm saying is 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:48.399 my stance is continuity. There's not much of it. The 0:18:48.440 --> 0:18:51.400 team is trying to a learn about each other while 0:18:51.520 --> 0:18:56.000 be managing the important players being available and then not 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:58.600 being available. Absolutely. I mean, if there's one thing that 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:00.359 I would say is that I'm just excited about the 0:19:00.359 --> 0:19:03.080 potential of the group, right. I mean, a lot of 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:06.399 new faces, a lot of high ceilings. I think the 0:19:06.400 --> 0:19:09.760 ceiling is incredibly high, and I'm just excited, like you said, 0:19:09.800 --> 0:19:12.440 to see them get to play together more, to get 0:19:12.440 --> 0:19:15.439 more continuity. I mean, just look at the first the 0:19:15.480 --> 0:19:17.640 beginning of the season, right, it's one of the hardest schedules. 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:20.520 It's such a challenging schedule to play. I think nine 0:19:20.560 --> 0:19:23.919 of the first thirteen away from home accurate number. And 0:19:24.000 --> 0:19:26.879 at home they've been great. We've had four opportunities and 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:28.880 four wins at home. I think there are only five 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:31.480 teams left that are undefeated at home. I guess a 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:33.640 little bit easier if you've only played four games at home, 0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:35.440 But I think it'll be nice for them to be 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:36.720 able to get into a little bit more of a 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:40.800 rhythm playing at home more often. Maybe not playing as 0:19:40.880 --> 0:19:43.240 challenging of an early schedule as far as caliber of 0:19:43.240 --> 0:19:46.000 the teams were playing against, so hopefully in the next 0:19:46.000 --> 0:19:48.080 few games they can fall into a better rhythm. I 0:19:48.080 --> 0:19:50.160 think it'll be nice for the content department to get 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:52.879 into a rhythm of the team playing at home. I agree. 0:19:54.320 --> 0:19:56.119 One guy who had a pretty strong game against the 0:19:56.440 --> 0:19:59.439 Orlando Magic on Wednesday and the second out of a 0:19:59.480 --> 0:20:01.840 back to back and who I think has been an 0:20:01.880 --> 0:20:04.960 all around valuable edition, Certainly not going out on him 0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:08.560 by saying that, but it is worth stating for the record, 0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:12.840 Josh Richardson. Richardson on a dribble drive. I don't know 0:20:12.840 --> 0:20:15.120 about you, but to me, he's been really impressive. He's 0:20:15.160 --> 0:20:16.960 been asked to do a lot, and he has been 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:19.240 doing a lot and doing it pretty well. Absolutely, and 0:20:19.680 --> 0:20:22.840 Coach Brown said it at the preseason media luncheon that 0:20:22.920 --> 0:20:25.159 he was hoping Josh would become a glue or a 0:20:25.200 --> 0:20:27.239 mortar for this team, And it really does feel like 0:20:27.640 --> 0:20:30.919 whenever the team needs something, Josh is someone that could contribute. 0:20:30.960 --> 0:20:32.920 I mean, he's been a solid scorer this whole time. 0:20:33.520 --> 0:20:36.320 I believe he's second behind Ben and assists. Does that 0:20:36.359 --> 0:20:38.960 sound right to you? So he's sharing, well, he's creating, well, 0:20:40.000 --> 0:20:43.199 He's not that he's necessarily exceeded expectations. But I think 0:20:43.240 --> 0:20:45.600 a lot of us weren't super familiar with Josh when 0:20:45.600 --> 0:20:48.400 he came on the scene here in Philadelphia. But only 0:20:48.440 --> 0:20:51.159 good things as far as what I've seen. Yeah, he 0:20:51.160 --> 0:20:54.360 seems to be real tenacious and nasty when he's out 0:20:54.359 --> 0:20:59.360 of the court, but off the floor, a very mellow, chill, 0:20:59.560 --> 0:21:02.040 for lack better words, vibe. Do you find that the 0:21:02.080 --> 0:21:05.040 personalities this year are extra special when it comes to 0:21:05.080 --> 0:21:07.920 this group? I like them. I like them a lot. 0:21:08.040 --> 0:21:11.160 And that's not to say anything about the players who 0:21:11.200 --> 0:21:14.000 were previously here in year's past. But I do think 0:21:14.000 --> 0:21:15.920 it's a good group. I think everyone seems to know 0:21:16.480 --> 0:21:20.159 what their lanes are, so to speak. And yeah, especially 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:21.440 the new guys like that. To me, is one of 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:23.840 the exciting parts of this time of years that you're 0:21:23.840 --> 0:21:26.520 still getting to know the guys like a Josh Richardson 0:21:26.880 --> 0:21:31.320 or an Al Horford or a Trade Burke or who 0:21:31.320 --> 0:21:34.040 will Nato. These new guys come in and they're they're 0:21:34.160 --> 0:21:36.800 all by all accounts, seem like very good human beings 0:21:36.840 --> 0:21:39.280 and it's just being good basketball players. Definitely good human 0:21:39.280 --> 0:21:42.760 beings also good basketball players. But we talk about someone 0:21:42.800 --> 0:21:45.439 like Josh who's so smiley and infect she has this 0:21:45.480 --> 0:21:48.040 infectious personality off the court. I feel I feel the 0:21:48.040 --> 0:21:51.000 same way about Kylo Quinn Matisse thible. And then they 0:21:51.000 --> 0:21:52.760 get onto the court and they can really lock in 0:21:52.840 --> 0:21:56.280 and they have that Philly edginess that Coach Brown talks 0:21:56.280 --> 0:21:58.119 about that they always look for, and it's almost like 0:21:58.480 --> 0:22:00.480 when you're in the locker room, when you're around these guys, 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:04.439 they're smiley, they're happy, their personalities are big, and then 0:22:04.440 --> 0:22:05.760 they get on the court and it's like they have 0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:09.679 this very similar mentality that's this through line of intensity 0:22:09.840 --> 0:22:12.760 and grit that I think is really exciting. I would agree. 0:22:13.720 --> 0:22:17.480 I would hope the people out there saw the piece 0:22:17.520 --> 0:22:22.200 of furkon Corkmas content that was pushed on at sixers 0:22:22.440 --> 0:22:25.359 the other day from after the win against the Cleveland 0:22:25.440 --> 0:22:32.760 Cavaliers on Tuesday, turk you're stuffy. There you go. I 0:22:32.840 --> 0:22:36.879 will try tell me about your experience with Furkon and 0:22:36.960 --> 0:22:40.000 the Turkish taffy. Well, first of all, Furkan is just 0:22:40.040 --> 0:22:42.760 the most delightful individual. The more the more I see, 0:22:42.800 --> 0:22:46.160 the more I like out fur Con. I think I 0:22:46.200 --> 0:22:48.120 came into the locker room one of the coaches had 0:22:48.240 --> 0:22:50.560 found it, and I wish I don't think I was 0:22:50.600 --> 0:22:52.920 there when the when the Turkish taffy was brought into 0:22:52.960 --> 0:22:55.920 the room, but when I got there, Furkan was examining 0:22:55.960 --> 0:22:58.119 the Turkish taffy. So I'll have to do some more 0:22:58.160 --> 0:23:01.280 investigative reporting to figure out who actually gave it to him. 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:03.080 But it was something that he was familiar with, that 0:23:03.119 --> 0:23:06.439 he had seen before but maybe hadn't tasted recently. He 0:23:06.560 --> 0:23:10.880 was definitely excited about the taffy, as all, who doesn't 0:23:10.880 --> 0:23:15.080 get excited whether it's from Turkey or the Ocean City boardwalk. Absolutely, 0:23:15.840 --> 0:23:19.359 he was really excited about it. It tickled him, I think, 0:23:20.359 --> 0:23:23.399 and he gave it a shot. It was difficult to open, 0:23:23.480 --> 0:23:25.399 and then once he figured out how to open it, 0:23:25.400 --> 0:23:27.439 it was difficult to bite into, maybe due to the 0:23:27.440 --> 0:23:31.080